As of the 2026 Michelin Guide, there are 15 restaurants in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) with a Michelin star rating.

The Michelin Guides have been published by the French tire company Michelin since 1900. They were designed as a guide to tell drivers about eateries they recommended to visit and to subtly sponsor their tires, by encouraging drivers to use their cars more and therefore need to replace the tires as they wore out. Over time, the stars that were given out became more valuable.

Multiple anonymous Michelin inspectors visit the restaurants several times. They rate the restaurants on five criteria: "quality of products", "mastery of flavour and cooking techniques", "the personality of the chef represented in the dining experience", "value for money", and "consistency between inspectors' visits". Inspectors have at least ten years of expertise and create a list of popular restaurants supported by media reports, reviews, and diner popularity. If they reach a consensus, Michelin awards restaurants from one to three stars based on its evaluation methodology: one star means "high-quality cooking, worth a stop", two stars signify "excellent cooking, worth a detour", and three stars denote "exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey". The stars are not permanent and restaurants are constantly re-evaluated. If the criteria are not met, the restaurant will lose its stars.

The Toronto Michelin Guide was originally planned to launch in 2020, but it was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and instead launched in September 2022. The guide was initiated through a marketing partnership between Destination Toronto and Michelin, similar to other cities the guide has entered in recent years. In 2024, the geographic coverage was expanded to include the communities and regions that surround Toronto, with the guide officially being renamed by Michelin to "Toronto and Region". The GTA also has 26 restaurants with a Bib Gourmand designation, an award that Michelin gives out for good quality meals at moderate prices.

Lists

+ Michelin-starred restaurants Name Cuisine Location 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026Aburi Hana Japanese Toronto – Yorkville aKin Chinese Toronto – Downtown Alo French Toronto – Downtown Alobar Yorkville French Toronto – Yorkville DaNico Italian Toronto – Downtown Don Alfonso 1890 Italian Toronto – Downtown Edulis Spanish Toronto – West End Enigma Yorkville Canadian Toronto – Downtown Frilu Nordic / Japanese Markham colspan="3" Hexagon French Oakville colspan="1" Kaiseki Yu-zen Hashimoto Japanese Toronto – North York Kappo Sato Japanese Toronto – Midtown Osteria Giulia Italian Toronto – Yorkville The PineChinese Clearview Quetzal Mexican Toronto – Downtown Restaurant 20 Victoria French / Mexican Toronto – Downtown Restaurant Pearl MorissetteCanadian Lincoln Shoushin Japanese Toronto – North York Sushi Masaki Saito Japanese Toronto – Yorkville Yukashi Japanese Toronto – Midtown colspan="1" Reference(s)

Criticism The launch of the guide has attracted critique from various outlets including BBC News, suggesting that the selected restaurants were not representative of the diversity of Toronto's food scene, and that the city did not need outside recognition. The Toronto Star argued that the inaugural 2022 guide failed to capture the full diversity of Toronto restaurants, being overly represented by Japanese cuisine and downtown restaurants. The Star also publishes its own alternative restaurant guide that it argues better captures Toronto's food scene, released around the same time as the annual Michelin Guide update. This followed Michelin facing criticism for not emphasizing diversity and neglecting broader demographics in the city.

Others criticized the Michelin Guide for overlooking suburban Toronto, particularly Scarborough, which is often regarded as having the city's most diverse food scene. In both 2022 and 2023, only one Scarborough restaurant received recognition, earning a Michelin Bib Gourmand designation. In 2024, Michelin expanded its geographic coverage beyond the core city, including restaurants in suburban areas and extending as far as the Niagara Region, Simcoe County, and the Grey Highlands, areas well outside the Greater Toronto Area.

See also List of Michelin-starred restaurants in Quebec List of Michelin-starred restaurants in Vancouver List of Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurants in Canada List of restaurants in Canada

Notes

References

External links Toronto and Region at Michelin Guide